Agnes Maule Machar was born in Kingston, ON, her home for her entire life. Raised in a scholarly Scottish Presbyterian family, she was strongly influenced by her parents and the social gospel movement emanating from Queen's College. Her father, a minister in Kingston and later president of Queen's, taught Agnes ancient and modern languages, and at twelve, his pupil was already translating Ovid into English rhyme.

First publishing poems and didactic works, Agnes eventually wrote a juvenile novel,

Katie Johnstone's Cross (1870), which won a prize for the "book best suited to the needs of the Sunday School library." Her best-known novel, Roland Graeme: Knight (1892), supports the reforms sought by the Knights of Labour. Many of her works follow religious themes and are meant to instruct the young about Christianity. In addition to her literary pursuits, Agnes was the first life member of the International Council of Women, and worked for such causes as women's education, temperance, animal welfare, workers' rights, and social reform. While living in Kingston, she often spent her summers at "Ferncliff" in Gananoque near the Thousand Islands.

Agnes died in 1927 and was buried at Cataraqui Cemetery in Kingston, ON. In 2015, she was designated a Person of National Historical Significance by the Government of Canada.

For a more detailed biography, see her entry in the

Dictionary of Canadian Biography.
Published TextsFictionKatie Johnstone's Cross: A Canadian Tale (Toronto: Campbell, 1870)—as A.M.M.Lucy Raymond; or,The Children's Watchword (Toronto: Campbell, 1871)—as "A Lady of Ontario"For King and Country: A Story of 1812 (Toronto: Adam, Stevenson, 1874)—as A.M.M.Roland Graeme, Knight: A Novel of Our Time (Montreal: Drysdale, 1892)Marjorie's Canadian Winter: A Story of the Northern Lights (Boston: Lothrop, 1892)Down the River to the Sea (New York: Home, 1894)—as Miss MacharThe Heir of Fairmount Grange (Toronto: Copp Clark, 1895)Non-fictionFaithful Unto Death: A Memorial of John Anderson, Late Janitor of Queen's College (Kingston, ON: Creighton, 1859)Memorials of the Life and Ministry of the Rev. John Machar, D.D., Late Minister of St. Andrew's Church, Kingston (Toronto: Campbell, 1873)Red-Cross Knights of the Salvation Army (Toronto: Williamson, 1884)—as "Fidelis"Kingston and its Vicinity: Historical Sketch of Kingston (Kingston, ON: Henderson, 1884)—Queen’s University volume signed "Fidelis"Heroes of Canada: Based Upon "Stories of New France" (Toronto: Copp, Clark, 1893)—as Miss Machar; with T.G. Marquis; also published as Stories from Canadian History: Based Upon "Stories of New France", also with Thomas G. MarquisMère Marie-Rose: Fondatrice de la Congregation des SS. Noms de Jésus et di Marie au Canada (Montreal, QC: Desbarats, 1895)—with J.H. PrétôtHoly Communion: Invitation and Simple Preparation (London: Longman’s Green, 1908)—as "Fidelis"The Story of Old Kingston (Toronto: Musson, 1908)From Dawn to Darkness; or, Papal Legends Under Historic Searchlights (London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, 1913)—as "Fidelis"Stories of the British Empire for Young Folks and Busy Folks (London: Stock, 1913; Toronto: Briggs, 1914)A Child of the Light (Kingston, ON: Queen's University, 1916)The Thousand Islands (Toronto: Ryerson, 1935)Serialized fictionLost and Won: A Canadian Romance (Canadian Monthly and National Review, January – December 1875)Poetry"The Cliff" to "The Islands" ( Gananoque, QC: Author, 1891)—as Agnes Maule Machar (Fidelis)Lays of the True North and Other Canadian Poems (Toronto: Copp Clark, 1895)—2nd, enlarged edition (London: Stock; Toronto: Copp, Clark, 1902)The Call of Christmas (s.l.: s.n., 1914)Short story collectionsStories of New France: Being Tales of Adventure and Heroism from the Early History of Canada (Boston: Lothrop, 1890)—with Thomas G. MarquisPeriodical ContributionsAndover Review (Oberlin, OH)Canadian Magazine (Toronto)Canadian Monthly and National Review (Toronto)Canadian Presbyterian (Toronto)Catholic Presbyterian (New York)Century (New York)Christian Union Herald (Princeton, NJ)Cross MagazineDominion Illustrated (Montreal, QC)Good Housekeeping (New York)Magazine of Poetry (Buffalo, NY)Presbyterian Review (New York)Queen's Quarterly (Kingston, ON)Rose-Belford's Canadian Monthly (Toronto)St. Nicholas (New York)The Week (Toronto)Westminster Review (London)Wide Awake (Boston, MA)Other PublicationsAnthologized in: Burpee, Lawrence J., ed. A Century of Canadian Sonnets (Toronto: Musson, 1910).Burpee, Lawrence J., ed. Flowers from a Canadian Garden (Toronto: Musson, 1909).Campbell, Wilfred, ed. The Oxford Book of Canadian Verse (Toronto: Oxford UP, 1913).Carman, Bliss, and Lorne Pierce, eds. Our Canadian Literature: Representative Verse, English and French, 3rd ed. (Toronto: Ryerson, 1934).Caswell, Edward S., ed. Canadian Singers and Their Songs: A Collection of Portraits, Autograph Poems and Brief Biographies, 3rd ed. (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1925).Garvin, John W., ed. Canadian Poems of the Great War (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1918).Green Holly: Sing Heigh-ho unto the Green Holly [Stratford, ON: s.n., 1895]Harrison, Susan Frances, ed. The Canadian Birthday Book with Poetical Selections for Everyday in the Year from Canadian Writers, English and French (Toronto: Robinson, 1887).Lighthall, William Douw, ed. Canadian Poems and Lays (London: Scott, [c1892]).Lighthall, William Douw, ed. Songs of the Great Dominion: Voices from the Forests and Waters, the Settlements and Cities of Canada, 1st ed. (London: Walter Scott, 1889).MacMurchy, Marjory, Amelia B. Warnock, and Jane Wells Fraser, eds. Canadian Days: Selections for Every Day in the Year from the Works of Canadian Authors. Compiled by the Toronto Women's Press Club (Toronto, Musson, n.d.).Ninety-Four: A Calendar for the Year of Our Lord MDCCCXCIV with Verses by Some of the Canadian Writers of Verse and Drawings by Members of the Toronto Art Students' League. Toronto: Toronto Art Students' League, [1893].Ninety-Three: A Calendar for the Year of Our Lord MDCCCXCIII (Toronto: Toronto Art Students' League, [1892]).Rand, Theodore H., ed. A Treasury of Canadian Verse: With Brief Biographical Notes (New York: Dutton, 1900).Roberts, Charles G.D., ed. Poems of Wild Life. The Canterbury Poets series (London: Scott; Toronto: Gage, 1888).Ross, George W., ed. Patriotic Recitations and Arbor Day Exercises (Toronto: Warwick & Rutter, 1893).Stephen, A.M., ed. The Voice of Canada: A Selection of Prose and Verse (Toronto: Dent, 1926)—illustrated by E. WallcousinsWetherall, J.E., ed. Later Canadian Poems (Toronto: Copp Clark, 1893)Contributed to: Marquis, T.G., ed. Builders of Canada from Cartier To Laurier (Brantford, ON: Bradley-Garretson, 1903)—later published as Giants of the Dominion From Cartier To Laurier and Great Canadians From Cartier To Laurier (Philadelphia, PA: Winston, 1905)Translated: Cornet-Auquier, André, Alfred Eugene Casalis, and Jean Rival. Young Soldiers Hearts of France: A Wreath of Immortelles (Toronto: Musson, 1919)Family and RelationshipsFather: John Machar(December 1796 – 7 February 1863)

John Machar was born in Tannadice, Scotland, to farmer David Machir and Jean Walker, and baptized on 18 December 1796. After completing his early education, John studied at King’s College, Aberdeen, and the University of Edinburgh. Earning his license to preach from the Church of Scotland, he was nominated to a position at St. Andrew’s in Kingston, ON, in 1827. In October 1832, he married Margaret Sim (1797-1883), “recently arrived from Scotland,” in Montreal, returning with her to Kingston. John and Margaret had three children, two of whom survived infancy.

John, a highly regarded Scottish Presbyterian minister, both in Scotland and Kingston, was involved in several religious and church-based committees and organizations. A dedicated scholar, he helped found Queen’s College (now Queen’s University) and served there as principal for nearly a decade. He died in Kingston, in 1863.

Margaret Sim was born in Scotland, to Agnes Maule (c1759-1839) and Reverend David Sim (c1753-1823), who was educated at the University of St. Andrews and licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Arbroath. Shortly after arriving in Canada, Margaret, known as “a leader in good works,” married Reverend John Machar (1796-1863) in Montreal, QC, in October 1832. The couple had three children, two of whom survived infancy. Margaret bequeathed her mother's maiden name, "Maule," to both her children as a second name. Margaret died in 1883.

John Maule Machar, who appears to have gone by "Maul," was a lawyer in Kingston and a member of faculty at Queen’s University; he shared law offices with John A. Macdonald. His wife, Caroline, was a sister of author Grant Allen.

ReligionPresbyterianResidences

Gananoque, ON(1921)

Kingston, ON(1837-1927)

EducationAwards

1st place for Katie Johnstone's Cross: A Canadian Tale, "The best book suited to the needs of the Sunday School library" (Unknown Toronto publisher, 1870)

Designated a Person of National Historic Significance (Government of Canada, 2015)